Baghawad Geeta, Class 143: Chapter 11, Verses 7 to 13
Shloka 11. 7:
इहैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं पश्याद्य सचराचरम्।
मम देहे गुडाकेश यच्चान्यद्द्रष्टुमिच्छसि।।11.7।।
See now, O gudakesa, O Gudakesa (Arjuna), the entire Universe together with the moving and the non-moving, concentrated at the same place here in My body, as also whatever else you would like to see.
Continuing his teaching, Swamiji said, Arjuna asked for Vishwa Rupa darshanam. This darshanam involves two set of eyes; first the laukika chakshu and second the divya chakshu; Divya chakshu here means a purified mind, a mature mind, an informed mind, a religious
mind, also equally important a second invisible eye; which is figuratively presented as the third eye and in the Gita 11th chapter it is called divya chakshu. When both eyes, our normal vision combines with a pure mind, only then Vishwa rupa darshanam is possible.
Citing some examples, Swamiji says, even though Lord Rama was available to both Shabari and Ravana, Shabari got her darshanam as she had performed sadhanas for a very long time; however, even though Ravana saw Rama he did not see the divine in him, as he was not prepared with a pure mind. Lord’s universal form is available to all of us, all the time; even so we don’t feel its impact; hence most of us don’t get the Vishwa rupa darshanam. So the defect is not in my normal vision but in my refined mind (divya chakshu). The refined mind has to be free of kama, krodha, raga, dvesha, ahamkara and mamakara.
So, Arjuna, Vishwa rupa darshanam is easiest as it is always in front of you. So, I, as the akasha, having the akasha as the body, am available in front of you and the whole creation is my shariram alone; you can see the Vishva rupa right in front of you; O Gudakesha. Gudakseha means satva guna pradhana. Arjuna you can; it only requires some refinement, it is possible for you.
This vision includes all moving and nonmoving objects that consist of the body of the Lord. Not only can you see all this but you can see anything else you wish to see as well. So, Sri Krishna offers to cooperate with Arjuna in giving him this darshanam.
Shloka 11.8:
न तु मां शक्यसे द्रष्टुमनेनैव स्वचक्षुषा।
दिव्यं ददामि ते चक्षुः पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम्।।11.8।।
But you are not able to see Me merely with this eye of yours. I grant you the supernatural eye; bhold My divine Yoga.
Sri Krishna introduces the requirement for two types of eyes. He says, you can’t have Vishwa rupa darshanm with laukika eyes alone; you need the second invisible Divya Chakshu as well. Some people say even the Tilakam is symbolic of a third eye, of a prepared mind also known as Bhavana Chakshu.
Imagine a tourist taking pictures in a Hindu temple. He may see the antiquity, the age of statues etc but he will not perform namaskaram to the idols, as he is not imbued with a sense of the divine in them. It is in our culture that we see the divine even in a stone idol due to our attitude.
When Vibhuti comes we apply it on our forehead. Ash itself is worth nothing; it is our attitude, however, that makes it the Vibhuti. And what is that ash worth; its worth can be seen only by Divya chakshu; and therefore Sri Krishna says Vishva rupa darshanam requires divya chakshu; to do namaskaram, to revere, requires divya cakshu; to do the prokshanam of the river water requires Divya Chakshu; without that it is not possible and Arjuna I shall bless you with that divya chakshu.
And once that attitudinal change comes, you see my divine glory. Thus, even pancha maha bhuthas Become Lord Shiva; thus akashalinga is worshipped in Chidambaram, vayu lingam is worshipped in Kalahasthi; agni lingam in Thiruvannamalai, water becomes God as in Jambukesvaram, and earth becomes God as in Kancheepuram. And initially you worship the panchabhuthas, only in those respective temples, but that is not enough; later I should see the same divinity in the pancha bhuthas all over; and the day I can revere the pancha bhuthas, then the products of the pancha bhutas, they too all become divine for me.
I can no more go away from God, as everything is god as without god it is only maya.
Now there is silence as Sri Krishna blesses Arjuna with divya chakshu. So now Sanjaya comes and fills up the silent time. So, now Sanjaya speaks.
Shloka 11.9:
सञ्जय उवाच
एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजन्महायोगेश्वरो हरिः।
दर्शयामास पार्थाय परमं रूपमैश्वरम्।।11.9।।
Sanjaya said O King, having spoken thus, thereafter, Hari [Hari: destroyer of ignorance along with its conseences.] (Krsna) the great Master of Yoga, showed to the son of Prtha the supreme divine form:
Sanjaya spoke:
O King (dhritrashtra), Sri Krishna (hari) addressed Arjuna. Krishna here is Vishnu or Hari. Hari means one who absorbs all papams from devotees mind. Maha Yogeshwara means one who can purify. Normally purification is a long process consisting of practicing Pancha Maha Yagna’s. Here, Sri Krishna gives this temporary purification of mind to Arjuna.
Hari addressed Arjuna as in previous shloka saying you need, both, Laukika chakshu and Divya chakshu. Thereafter, Sri Krishna showed Arjuna the Vishwa Rupam, the greatest rupam. Why is it the greatest rupam? All other rupams are finite and mutually exclusive (one displaces the other) and are subject to arrival and departure,
Whereas Vishva rupa is the most unique one, because it is all pervading and secondly it need not exclude any form; Vishva rupa includes Rama rupam, includes Krishna rupam, Shiva rupam; all the possible rupams are included in Vishva rupam; therefore it is all inclusive; and finally, since Vishva rupam is right in front of me, it can neither arrive nor depart.
Even sandhyavandanam addresses it as we do namaskara to top, bottom, east, west etc. So we do namaskara to god everywhere; for us Bhagavan being everywhere, I do namaskaram all over. These are all the training given right from our young age. In fact, all our trainings are meant for seeing the world itself as God. This is the culmination in vyavaharika Ishvara darshanam; not paramarthikam, vyavaharika Ishvara darshanam; is the relative appreciation of Lord; the highest vision is to learn to see the very universe as the Lord; so our culture is oriented towards giving us this Vishwa Rupa Darshanam.
Shloka 11.10
अनेकवक्त्रनयनमनेकाद्भुतदर्शनम्।
अनेकदिव्याभरणं दिव्यानेकोद्यतायुधम्।।11.10।।
Having many faces and eyes, possessing many wonderful sights, adorned with numerous celestial ornaments, holding many uplifted heavenly weapons;
So we get Sanjaya’s description of Vishva rupa; Sanjaya describes and from this we come to know that Sanjaya is also getting Vishva rupa darshanam. He also sees by association the many faces, and many mouths; many eyes; how are we to understand the Lord with many eyes; does it mean that eyes are sticking all over; and if mouths are all over, how eyes will be all over; therefore do not imagine a form with countless eyes and ears; Arjuna learns to see all the mouths of all the people as the mouth of the Lord. There is no more it is my mouth; that is called ahamkara.
When I myself am not there; there is no individual separate from totality; There is no Tamil Nadu; separate from India; there is no wave separate
from ocean; there is no vyasti separate from samashti. When the egoist “I” do not exist anymore where is the question of saying my mouth, my eyes; my land etc.
As somebody said, it is better to have a heart without words rather than words without heart behind it. And therefore that bhavana is important; all the mouths are Bhagavan’s mouth; all the eyes are Bhagavan’s eyes Innumerable wonders, all of them belong to God. Lord is wearing many ornaments; all ornaments in universe are god’s abharanam. In our culture, before wearing an ornament it is placed in front of Lord. I am only taking it on lease. I will use it without claiming ownership or mamakara is the spirit behind it.
Lord with countless weapons in his raised hands. Sanjaya mentions weapons as Gita is occurring in a battlefield; all these weapons belong to the Lord. How is a weapon divine?
Two reasons are given:
- When weapon is in the hand of a person, it is laukika but in hand of god, it is divine. If everything is in God, everything is sacred.
- All weapons are for protecting Dharma as such associated with Lord or divine. God is in form of order and harmony in creation.
Shloka # 11:
दिव्यमाल्याम्बरधरं दिव्यगन्धानुलेपनम्।
सर्वाश्चर्यमयं देवमनन्तं विश्वतोमुखम्।।11.11।।
Wearing heavenly garlands and apparel, anointed with heavenly scents, abounding in all kinds of wonder, resplendent, infinite, and with faces everywhere.
In all these shlokas a verb is not given, only adjectives are used. Shloka 10 and 11 are all adjectives to Divya Rupam. The verb is, Sri Krishna showed to Arjuna. The word showed here means God removed obstacles in mind of Arjuna resulting in an attitudinal change and thus a change in perspective only.
Lord is wearing garlands and dresses; it means all malas worn by all people and all dresses worn by all people; Vishunu rupam smeared with divine perfumes; meaning different perfumes used by many different people. Hence, when we apply chandanam we should utter his name and say, I am decorating body of god.
Lord with faces in all directions means people with faces in many directions. Anantam means whose limit is not visible. Even scientists do not know outside limit of the universe. Furthermore, it is an expanding universe; if so where is the limit?
Purusha suktham says that this limitless universe occupies only an insignificant part of Vishva rupa; even this limitless universe itself is in Bhagavan’s one corner; then what should be the size of the Bhagavan; anantam; limitless, both spacewise, and timewise.
So, Vishwa Rupa Ishwara is the greatest wonder.
Shloka 11.12:
दिवि सूर्यसहस्रस्य भवेद्युगपदुत्थिता।
यदि भाः सदृशी सा स्याद्भासस्तस्य महात्मनः।।11.12।
Should the effulgence of a thousand suns blaze forth simultaneously in the sky, that might be similar to the radiance of that exalted One.
What is brilliance of the Lord? I am not able to even look at the sun; sun being an ordinary star. I can’t withstand looking at the sun. Imagine if I can see the brilliance of a thousand suns; imagine if I can see the brilliance of all stars. Sanjaya says, suppose the brilliance of a thousand suns rises simultaneously, that is the comparison for the brilliance of Vishva rupa Ishvara; it will be indescribable.
So that will be the brilliance; that will be the comparison for the brilliance of the mahatma; mahatma means Vishva rupa Ishvara; So that is the brilliance, it is indescribable. Mahatma Here means the infinite body that is the Lord
Shloka 11. 13:
तत्रैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं प्रविभक्तमनेकधा।
अपश्यद्देवदेवस्य शरीरे पाण्डवस्तदा।।11.13।।
At that time, Pandava saw there, in the body of the God of gods, the whole diversely differentiated Universe united in the one (Cosmic form).
Sanjaya continues; saying Arjuna saw everything in the infinite body of the Lord. It is divided in manifold forms; Arjuna saw in manifold forms in the body of the Lord. Yashoda also saw the whole universe in Sri Krishna’s mouth. Sharira here is not the limited body rather it is the vast space itself.
Sanjaya reports that before obtaining the Divya Chakshu, Arjuna saw the world as a persecuting world; problematic world; unfaceable world, burdensome world. Now the very same world has become totally different and therefore after being blessed with Divya cakshu Arjuna saw the Vishva rupa.
Take away:
“It is better to have a heart without words rather than words without heart behind it.” This is the bhavana required.
Divya chakshu is the refined mind free of kama, krodha, raga, dvesha, ahamkara and mamakara.
With Best Wishes,
Ram Ramaswamy